The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Barbados and lead implementor Tecnalia, is pleased to announce Digital Connectors Southern Caribbean — a landmark two-day programme bringing together Barbadian and regional digital firms, European and Latin American corporate partners, and innovation leaders under the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator.

The event, to be held on June 4–5, 2026 in Barbados, offers participating digital firms direct access to global value chains and the opportunity to engage with open innovation challenges from multinational corporate partners — an opportunity rarely available at this scale within the region.

ABOUT THE EU-LAC DIGITAL ACCELERATOR

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator is a four-year, EU-funded initiative valued at USD $825,000, implemented by Caribbean Export in collaboration with a consortium of European and Latin American partners and led by Tecnalia. The programme operates as a multi-sided platform that connects business challenges from large corporates with the digital solutions of startups and innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The accelerator’s model moves through three core stages. First, corporates from the LAC region that are challenged by digital transformation identify and submit real innovation challenges they are facing. These challenges are then opened to startups and SMEs — like those based in Barbados — who propose digital solutions. Once matched, the programme provides tailored acceleration services to the resulting EU-LAC partnerships, entirely free of charge, supporting them through to an investment-ready stage.

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Establish high-potential digital areas for collaboration jointly across EU and LAC countries.
• Facilitate connections between corporate challenges and innovative digital solutions from startups and SMEs.
• Develop sound joint business cases through tailored acceleration services for each partnership.
• Connect digital projects with relevant public and private investors to financially enable them.

Digital Connectors Southern Caribbean brings this global framework to Barbados — giving local firms the chance to engage directly with the accelerator’s corporate partners and access these opportunities face to face.

Digital Connectors Workshop — June 4, 2026

The Digital Connectors Workshop will take place at Hotel Indigo, Hastings, Christ Church, commencing at 9:30 a.m. Open to firms providing digital solutions, services, or technologies, the workshop will offer practical insights into the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator’s open innovation model, corporate collaboration opportunities, and the accelerator’s innovation and partnership framework.

Participating firms will gain a first-hand understanding of how to position their solutions against real corporate challenges submitted by international partners from Latin America and Europe.

Start-Up Clinic — June 5, 2026

The Start-Up Clinic will provide early-stage and growth-stage digital firms with structured, one-on-one advisory sessions with international experts. Participants will receive tailored guidance on business model development, scalability, investment readiness, and market-entry strategy — directly applicable to the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator’s partnership opportunities.

GET A HEAD START: JOIN THE MATCHING PLATFORM

Ahead of the workshop, Barbados-based digital firms are encouraged to join the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator Matching Platform to browse live corporate challenges from international partners — and arrive on June 4 prepared to engage, not just attend.

Register on the Matching Platform: https://eulacdigitalaccelerator.com/matching-platform/

Full event details and registration: Digital Connectors Workshop – Uncracking open innovation in Barbados: Meet the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator | Caribbean Export